Black Cake : COLLECTION

From: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva)

Date: Wed, 7 Jul 93 9:25:27 CDT

1 pound raisins, minced
1 pound pitted prunes, minced
1 pound dried currants, minced
1 pound glaceed cherries, minced
6 ounces glaceed lemon peel, minced
6 ounces glaceed orange peel, minced
1 bottle (750 ml) Manischewitz Concord Grape wine
1 bottle (750 ml) dark rum
2 pounds dark brown sugar
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
10 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups almond paste, if desired
7 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 large egg whites at room temperature
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
silver dragees for decorating the cake
In a large bowl, combine well the raisins, the prunes, the currants,
the cherries, the peels, the wine, and the rum and let the fruit
macerate, covered, at room temperature for at least 2 weeks.
In a heavy skillet combine 1 pound of the brown sugar and 1 cup water,
bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring and washing
down any sugar crystals clinging to the side wtih a brush dipped in
cold water until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup, swirling
the skillet occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is reduced
to 1 3/4 cups. Let the burnt sugar syrup cool and reserve it.
Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the nutmeg,
and the cinnamon. In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream
together the remaining 1 pound brown sugar and the butter until the
mixture is light and fluffy and beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating
well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, the flour mixture, and
1 1/3 cups of the reserved burnt sugar syrup, reserving the remaining
syrup for another use. In another large bowl combine well the flour
mixture and the fruit mixture and divide the batter between 2 buttered
and floured 10-inch springform pans. Bake the cakes in the middle of
a preheated 350F oven for 1 hour and 50 minutes to 2 hours, or until
the cakes are set and a tester inserted in the centers come out with
some crumbs adhereing to it. (The centers of the cake will be quite
moist). Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack, remove the sides
and the bottoms of the pans and wrap the cakes in foil or wax paper.
Let the cakes stand at room temperature for 1 week.
Roll out half the almond paste between sheets of plastic wrap to form
a 10-inch round and remove the top sheet of plastic wrap. Fit the
almond paste layer over one cake, trimming the edge if necessary, and
remove the other sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out and fit the remaining
almond paste onto the remaining cake in the same manner.
Make the icing: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat 4 cups of the
confectioners' sugar, the egg whites, and the lemon juice for 4 to 6
minutes, or until the mixture holds soft peaks. Beat in the remaining
3 cups confectioners' sugar and beat the icing until it holds stiff
peaks.
Transfer 2 cups of the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative
tip, spread the remaining icing on the tops and sides of the cakes
with a long metal spatula, and pipe the icing in the pastry bag
decoratively onto the cakes. Arrange the dragees on the cakes. Makes
2 black cakes.
--------------------------------------------------
1 pound each: dark raisins, currants, pitted prunes and glace cherries
1/2 pound mixed peel
1 quart white rum
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 pound butter
1 pound eggs (one dozen)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound flour (about 4 cups all-purpose)
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 ounces burt sugar, or substitute 6 ounces of gravy coloring
1 quart tawny port
Place raisins, currants, prunes, cherries and peel in a large plastic
or glass bowl. Add 1 cup rum. Put through a meat grinder, using a
medium blade. Mix with remaining rum so that the ground fruit forms a
smooth paste. Cover tightly. Let stand at least two weeks.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream dark brown sugar and butter. In a
separate bowl combine eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg and whip until foamy.
Combine egg mixture with butter-sugar mixture. Add ground fruits. Mix
well.
In a separate bowl, mix flour with baking powder. Stir flour mixture
into fruit mixture. Add burnt sugar or graving coloring. Batter should
be dark brown.
Grease and lightly flour 2 10-inch springform pans. Fill with mixture
and bake 2 hours or until a tester comes out clean.
Take pans out of the oven. Let cool 1 hour, then remove cakes from pans
and cool completely. Pour one cup port over the top of each. Let it
absorb. After 10 minutes, pour on remaining port.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let cakes age at least a week. Do not
refrigerate. Makes 2 cakes.